Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed that he has apologised to Conor Gallagher, who is unable to represent Crystal Palace against his parent club in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final.
Gallagher, now an England international, has starred for Palace this campaign, emerging as one of the top performers in the Premier League and helping the Eagles reach the last four of the FA Cup.
However, the 22-year-old is ineligible to feature in the upcoming clash at Wembley Stadium with Chelsea rejecting "a special request" from Palace for Gallagher to be allowed to play.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Tuchel has said that he met Gallagher in a chance meeting at a restaurant and understood his frustration over the situation.
The German said: "I had the chance to speak to Conor and I could also see his frustration. We met some weeks ago, I think during the international break, by coincidence, in a restaurant and we had a chat. The subject came up.
"I apologised because I know how competitive he is and I like him a lot. I know his character very well and it was a pleasure to have him here in pre-season. It's the way it is.
"We play to win the game and the rules are clear when we made the loan. I can totally understand Patrick Vieira's view and the frustration of Conor."
Gallagher is expected to feature in Tuchel's first-team squad next season after contributing eight goals and three assists from his 27 Premier League starts this campaign.
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